6 Natural Home Remedies for Diabetes

According the official WHO estimates, India had an estimated 31,705,000 diabetics in the millennium year which is estimated to grow by over 100% to 79,441,000 by 2030. The International Diabetes Federation Atlas 2015, estimates that 69.2 million Indians are diabetic. These figures go to show how prevalent this lifestyle disease has gotten over the years and stress on the need to explore treatments and home remedies for diabetes.

Why are so many Indian diabetic? Of course, genetic susceptibility is one reason. But our changing lifestyle is turning out to be an area of growing concern. A high-calorie diet coupled with a sedentary lifestyle with not much physical activity puts you at a greater risk of getting diabetes.

Diabetes refers to a group of metabolic diseases that cause high blood sugar levels. This may happen due to inadequate production of insulin by the pancreas or when the cells of the body do not respond to the insulin produced. Type-1 diabetes is where the body is unable to produce insulin, only about 10 percent of all diabetic cases are type 1. It usually develops in childhood or adolescence but it may occur at any age. The other is a condition in which the cells in the body fail to respond to the insulin produced. This is called type-2 diabetes and about 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are of this type. There is also a third kind, gestational diabetes which affects females during pregnancy.

The campaign for World Health Day 2016 encourages us to beat this silent killer by highlighting the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease. Keeping that mind, Dr. Shikha Sharma, Wellness Expert and Founder of NutriHealth suggests six natural remedies for tackling high blood sugar levels.

1. Fenugreek Seeds all the way

Consume about one teaspoon of fenugreek powder (methi dana powder) with lukewarm water early morning before you start your day. Fenugreek seeds are famous for their ability to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. They contain fiber and help in slowing the digestion process and thus regulates the absorption of carbohydrates and sugar. They also help in improving the way the body uses sugar.

2. Home-Made Powders

Make a concoction of fenugreek powder, jamun seed powder, neem powder and karela powder, all in equal proportions. Consume about 1 teaspoon of this mix, half an hour before lunch and dinner along with water.

3. Delicious and Therapeutic

Soak 8-10 flowers of Paneer Doda in a glass of water overnight. Filter the water and have it in the morning. Also known as Paneer ka Phool, Paneer Doda is a popular Indian flower known for its medicinal uses. It helps in utilizing the blood glucose effectively.

4. The Indian Superfood

Take two teaspoons of amla juice with a pinch turmeric powder early morning. Amla is the fruit of the Indian gooseberry tree and is a traditional remedy to control high blood sugar levels. It also contains a mineral called chromium which regulates carbohydrate metabolism and helps in making your body more responsive to insulin.

Have one teaspoon of powdered Gurmar leaves along with water half an hour after lunch and dinner. Gurmar is an Ayurvedic herb which is known to regulate the absorption of carbohydrates in the body. The word Gurmar literally means the 'sugar destroyer' as it helps in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels in the body.